Lawn sprinkler having selective deflecting means



June 1955 F. H. KING 2,711,925

LAWN SPRINKLER HAVING SELECTIVE DEFLECTING MEANS Filed Sept. 26, 1952 INVENTOR imam c {W6 ATTOQNEYS LAWN SPRINKLER HAVING SELECTIVE DEFLECTING MEANS Frederic H. King, Menlo Park, Calif.

Application September 26, 1952, Serial No. 311,671

4 Claims. (Cl. 299-18) This invention relates to lawn sprinklers, and more particularly to a lawn sprinkler embodying means tc selectively vary the spray pattern of the water.

The essential object of the invention is to provide a lawn sprinkler embodying simple and novel variable positionable means for deflecting the water emitted from a fixed nozzle to selectively form one of a number of water spray patterns.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in con g junction with the drawings forming part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a sprinkler embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the sprinkler;

Figures 3A, 3B, 3C and 3D are, respectively, detail views taken along lines 3A-3A, 3B-3B, 3C-3C and 3D3D of Figure 2; and

Figures 4A, 4B, 4C and 4D show the geometrical forms of the spray patterns obtained, respectively, with the spray pattern control means of Figures 3A, 3B, 3C and 3D.

Referring to the drawings, the sprinkler comprises a ground support base having a water inlet opening 12 in flow communication with an upwardly directed water outlet nozzle 14. Attached to the base 10 is a support member, indicated generally at 16, comprising a planar base portion 18 and a pair of vertically disposed arm members 20. The support member 16 may be secured to the base 10 in any desired way, as by providing the nozzle 14 in a form to be threadably engaged with the base and by utilizing the nozzle as an anchoring bolt for the support member. With such an arrangement, a bearing washer 22 is preferably provided between the base portion 18 of the support member and the underside or" the head flange of the nozzle. The upper ends of the arms 20 are curled to provide bearing supports 24 for a shaft member 26. The shaft member 26 may be conveniently in the form of a bolt secured against endwise movement by its head portion 28 and by nut 30 threadably engaged with its other end.

Sleeved on shaft 26 for rotative adjustment thereon is a spray pattern control member indicated generally at 32, comprising a hub portion 34 and deflector arms A, B, C and D radially extending therefrom. The member 32 is disposed on shaft 26 so that the longitudinal axes of arms A, B, C and D are disposed in the same vertical plane as the axis of the water conduit of nozzle 14. Means, such as pin holes 36 in the hub member 34 and a spring loaded detent 38 carried by one of the arms 20 of support member 16, are provided to lock the member 32 in the selected positions in which one of the arm members A, B, C and D is disposed in axial alignment with the nozzle outlet. The ends of the arm members A-D are variably formed so that each one of these arm members will provide a spray pattern having a preinited States Patent 0 determined geometrical outline with respect to ground coverage.

The end of arm member A is provided with an angularly disposed concavity 40 adapted, when disposed over the nozzle outlet, to deflect the water into the quarter circle spray pattern shown in Figure 4A.

As best shown in Figure 3B, arm B has an end 42 which is pyramidal in form, comprising four quadrants, with each of said surface quadrants being slightly concave in form. Arm B is adapted, when its end is disposed over the nozzle outlet, to deflect the water to form the square spray pattern shown in Figure 4B.

Arm C is provided at its end with two outwardly and upwardly directed concavities 44 meeting at an apex line 46, and is further provided with outwardly and upwardly extending shoulder portions 48 defining the lateral boundaries of the surface portions 44, and with oppositely disposed skirt portions 50 symmetrically disposed with respect to the apex line 46. Arm C is adapted, when its end is disposed above the nozzle outlet, to deflect the water into an elongated strip pattern, such as that shown in Figure 4C.

The end 54 of arm D is in the form of a concave surface 52 of single curvature disposed at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the arm. Arm D is adapted, when disposed over the nozzle outlet, to deflect the water to form the half-circle spray pattern shown in Figure 4D.

The inner sides 56 of the support arms 20 are preferably of knife edge thinness so as to offer as little impedance as possible to the spray of water.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provided a lawn sprinkler having selectively usable water deflector means adapted to form a number of spray patterns, any one of which may be best suited to the form of a portion of land, a flower bed, or the like, which is to be watered.

While a specific embodiment of the sprinkler has been shown and described, it is to be understood that all substantial equivalents thereof are within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A sprinkler comprising a supporting base having a water passageway therein terminating in an outlet nozzle, spray pattern control means associated with said nozzle operable to deflect water issuing from said nozzle onto a ground area of determinate geometrical outline, said means comprising a member embodying a plurality of arms having variably formed deflector surfaces, and arm means extending upwardly from said base and rotatably supporting said member above said nozzle and in spaced relation thereto whereby said deflector surfaces may be selectively positionable in the water emission path of said nozzle.

2. A sprinkler comprising a supporting base having a water passageway therein terminating in an outlet nozzle, a pair of fixedly positioned support arms extending upwardly from said base on opposite sides of said nozzle, a member rotatably supported between said arms above said nozzle and in spaced relation thereto, the axis of rotation of said member extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of said nozzle and being disposed above said nozzle and in a plane which includes said nozzle axis, said member comprising a plurality of radially extending arms selectively positionable, upon rotation of said member, in axial alignment with said nozzle, and in spaced relation therewith said member arms having their outer ends formed to provide differently shaped water deflector surfaces, and means to lock said member against rotation with any one of said member arms in axial alignment with said nozzle.

3. A sprinkler as set forth in claim 2, said support arms Patented June 28, 1955 being of minimal thickness and having their width dimensions radially disposed with respect to said nozzle axis, whereby said support arms will offer a minimum of impedance to the Water deflected by said member arms.

4. In a sprinkler having a base, a water discharge nozzle carried thereby, and means mounted on said base in association with said nozzle adapted to disturb a stream of water issuing from said nozzle to form a determinate water spray pattern; the improvement consisting of a member disposed above and in spaced relation to said nozzle and arm means carried by and extending above said base mounting said member on said base for selective rotative positioning about an axis extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of said nozzle, said rotative axis being disposed above said nozzle, said member having a plurality of radially extending arms provided with variably formed water-deflecting end surfaces, and means for securing said member against rotation with any one of said end surfaces in water-deflecting association with said nozzle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

